Monica Folse

While some run away from problems and stressful situations, Monica Folse with Houma Health Insurance Service LLC, said she loves rising up and facing a challenge head-on to help her clients.

“I really like solving problems,” Folse said. “Some people don’t like that, but I like the challenge of solving a problem, whether it’s for an employer or an employee and I guess it gives me gratitude for being able to better their situation both financially and peace of mind.”

Folse got into the insurance scene more than 20 years ago, getting her start as a secretary at a John Hancock office in Atlanta in 1987.

“I started off as a secretary there, but a few people told me that I should switch and start working as an agent,” she said. “So over time, that’s what I did.”

A year later, Folse returned home to Louisiana, where she started work for a local New York Life agency n the same agency she would later purchase in 1997.

The early days weren’t always easy for Folse, who said she initially relied on her own caring personality and diligence to bring customers into the fold.

“We did it the old-fashioned way,” Folse said. “Everything we did from 1997 to 2002, was done the old way, calling on businesses and door knocking to talk to them, so we’ve built it up quite a bit and we’re very proud.”

Folse now services approximately 50 businesses and close to 300 individuals, giving them the benefits they need to live their lives as worry free as possible in today’s tough economic climate.

She said she prefers working with smaller to medium-sized businesses because of the personal relationships one can build with clients in that business model.

“I don’t really prospect for really large business, because they usually have someone internally who handles the insurance for them. I like the challenge of taking care of my groups, so because of that, the small-to-intermediate-sized businesses need my staff and need our expertise in order to help them. And generally speaking, most of my groups of that size stay with me, because of the service.”

But no matter the number of clients in the files of Houma Health Insurance Service LLC, Folse said the business will never lose the roots from the early days of putting the customer’s wants first.

She said she still prides herself for always being there for her clients n at all hours of the day and sometimes night, too.

“They all have my cell phone, so they all know if they can’t reach me here, they can call me on my cell phone, at any time,” Folse said.

Title: Insurance Broker at Houma Health Insurance Service LLC

Age: 52

Family: Husband, Bill Folse; children Amy Williams, Michelle Matta, Peter Williams, Elise Williams

Education: Graduate of Terrebonne High School, attended LSU

If you could add one hour to each day: I would go swimming at the YMCA and get in a really good workout for a change.

First job: Travel agent.

What did you want to be growing up? An Olympic swimmer.

Best advice received: From my dad: “Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy.”

Best advice you’d give to a woman in business: “In my business, it’s highly male-dominated, so sometimes, we have to do things better, but my best advice would be to just focus on your own business and not worry about what others are doing, because you cannot control what’s done outside of your own office space.”

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what would you be doing? Working at a national wildlife refuge as a conservationist.